Motorcycle Helmet Safety
How to check that your motorcycle helmet is safe.
In the
UK motorcycle helmet safety is taken very seriously
and there are organisations such as SHARP
who put helmets through stringent tests to make sure that they will
protect you if you have an accident.
Motorcycle Helmet Safety Organisations
SHARP
Safety Helmet Assessment & Rating Programme
SHARP
is the organisation that runs crash tests on full face and
flip up motorcycle helmet models to check the motorcycle helmet safety. All of the ratings are available on
their website along with a detailed database showing how each helmet
performed. Open face helmets are not tested as they offer no
face protection.
Read
more about SHARP
ECE
22.05
and BS 6658:1985
Any motorcycle helmet sold in the UK must :- Meet the British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark <<-- shown on the left
- or Comply with UNECE
Regulation 22.05 (United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe)
view the entire PDF document for this regulation here
Many countries worldwide use the ECE standard and the majority of helmet models meet the regulation.
How to check that a motorcycle helmet passes safety regulations
These checks are easy to do:
- If the helmet is listed on the SHARP website then you can be sure it has been tested for use on UK roads and has passed regulations.
- Most helmets also
have an ECE marking label to show that it meets Regulation No.22 (aka
ECE 22.05). Look for these markings inside the
helmet either moulded into the visor or as
a sticker (normally on the top right hand corner):
These pictures are from the inside padding of a Shoei Raid II (left) and the visor of a Suomy Vandal (right). If you are buying spare visors also make sure that they have an ECE marking.
Depending on the EU country the helmet was tested in the marking will start with 'E' and then end with a number. It doesn't matter which number it ends with, here is a list of EU countries and their ECE numbers -
- E1 Germany
- E2 France
- E3 Italy
- E4 Netherlands
- E5 Sweden
- E6 Belgium
- E7 Hungary
- E8 Czech Republic
- E9 Spain
- E10 Yugoslavia
- E11 British (United Kingdom)
- E12 Austria
- E13 Luxembourg
- E14 Switzerland
- E16 Norway
- E17 Finland
- E18 Denmark
- E19 Romania
- E20 Poland
- E21 Portugal
- E22 Russian
- E23 Greece
- E25 Croatia
- E26 Slovenia
- E27 Slovakia
- E28 Belarus
- E29 Estonia
- E31 Bosnia Herzegovina
- E37 Turkey
SHARP 5 out of 5 star rated motorcycle helmets
(all also meet ECE 22.05)
At the time of writing there are 32 SHARP 5 star helmets. It's important to use the SHARP ratings as a guide when buying, just because a helmet has a 5 star safety rating doesn't mean that it is comfortable to wear and up to everyday use.
Caberg Konda - Flip up
motorcycle helmet
Caberg are a well known brand and available to buy from most motorcycle clothing or accessory dealers.
Read owner reviews for the Caberg Konda
For it's price (around £120) it's a full featured flip up helmet that also benefits from an internal visor.
Shoei XR-1000 - Full face
This is an excellent track day or touring helmet and is popular with Sportsbike riders. It's an older model now and can be picked up for around £300.
Read Shoei XR1000 owner reviews
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